Tuesday, May 27, 2008

I am always invoking the elusive, nameless, and faceless hair gods in many of my posts at naturallycurly.com. Well, one member -- Riot Crrl -- whipped up this little interpretation of what a hair god(dess) might look like. I love it! (Plus, I use all the products she's holding!) You can click on the image to see it even bigger....

Sunday, May 25, 2008

Although silicones with PEG in front of them are supposed to be water-soluble, I have not really trusted this promise because my experience with DevaCurl OneCondition seemed to leave me with some buildup. So, I've been avoiding all 'cones, including the ones with PEG before them.

But today, someone posted at naturallycurly.com that there is a difference in solubility among the PEG 'cones. Here is what the poster (who claims to have majored in chemistry in college) said:

As far as pegylated dimethicone - yes, some of them are water soluble. Anything with less than 4 is not at all. Anything 4-6 is very slightly water soluble. Anything 6-8 is moderately water soluble. 8-10 have good (but not great) solubility in water. 10+ are completely water soluble. the "PEG" part is polyethylene glycol - a very water-soluble side chain. The longer the side chain, the more willing these 'cones are to "work" with water. It's my understanding that things with fewer than 10 are prone to buildup without sulfates.

So, this gives me a little more confidence to at least look for higher numbers when considering a product with a PEG 'cone. Good info!

According to laurabeth33 -- who tests products -- she says: "gels with triethanolamine (a pH alkalyne adjuster) as one of the first few ingredients can make hair more dry so a more acid leave-in underneath may encourage better (less drying) results."

I have asked her for examples of "acidic" leave-ins so I'll post that here when she responds.

About Me

It's all about curls

After discovering that curls can be nurtured into fabulousness instead of frizz, I began my quest to cultivate healthy, moisturized hair. I don't use anything with sulfates or silicones, and like my hair at last! This blog is one way I am indulging my obsession.